


Lightness

by Gallifrean_assbutts_in221b



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Kissing, One Shot, can anyone think of some other tags i should add because i'm seriously at a loss here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-26
Updated: 2014-01-26
Packaged: 2018-01-10 02:34:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1153746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gallifrean_assbutts_in221b/pseuds/Gallifrean_assbutts_in221b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fluffy Eleven/River dancing. That's basically it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lightness

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little one-shot I did based on the idea of Eleven and River dancing and a song that got stuck in my head. The song is Lightness (yes, I couldn't think of an actual title for the fic) by Death Cab for Cutie, and I would highly recommend you give it a listen. I'm aware the lyrics don't quite correspond to the general tone of the story, but I guess I was infatuated by the tune. Oh well. Sorry, this is way too many notes for 1,000-word ficlet.

“Well, I guess we’re stuck in here, then,” she says matter-of-factly, crossing her arms.

“I suppose so,” he sighs, and closes the door. It’s a small, cluttered room with ghastly beige wallpaper; someone’s office, probably, judging by the bookshelves that line every wall, floor to ceiling. Luckily it’s a well-lit office, or they wouldn’t be able to see a thing due to the raging storm outside. They’d dashed into the first empty building they saw after having to leave the TARDIS. Not that either of them minds a little rain, but it’s better not to be soaking wet and filthy when they return later. Plus, it’d be a shame to ruin these clothes—they’d both dressed for a Black Tie event, after all.

She shakes her head in exasperation as rain pounds relentlessly against the windows. “I told you to let me drive.”

The Doctor pouts. “My driving was just fine, thank you—”

“Obviously not, or we wouldn’t have crash-landed who knows how far off, in the middle of a thunderstorm!”

“The thunderstorm wasn’t my fault!”

“I never said it was.” He’s still pouting, so she softens a bit. “Look, next time she’s damaged, let’s just wait awhile before we take off again, all right? We shouldn’t have tried to get to 17th century London immediately after what happened on Archetryx.”

The Doctor nods reluctantly and leans against the doorway, playing with the sonic screwdriver in the pocket of his jacket. River turns to peer out the window again, and though he pretends not to be looking, the Doctor can’t help but admire her in that gown. Floor-length gold sequins…stunning.

“Where did you say we were?” she asks, observing the street outside curiously.

“Cardiff, around…2007.”

“Only four centuries off. Wow.”

“Hmmph.”

They’re both the energetic sort; neither one likes sitting still much, or being trapped for that matter. They’re always running, always moving, never slowing down for a moment. As long as they’re stuck in here, River figures, they might as well enjoy each other’s company.

She crosses the room to the small, cluttered desk in the corner and picks up a radio from amidst the stacks upon stacks of papers. The Doctor looks over in surprise when she flips it on.

“Why not?” she shrugs.

An old song by Death Cab for Cutie is playing, and River hums along:

_There’s a tear in the fabric_   
_Of your favorite dress_   
_And I’m sneaking glances_

She’s spinning a little bit, swaying along, and after a moment she realizes he’s staring at her.

“What?”

He shakes his head; there’s an odd gleam of _something_ his eyes. “I…” Now River’s looking at him funny, and it’s making him blush. “Nothing, just…you’re beautiful.”

River tilts her head quizzically and he quickly averts his gaze. She’s slightly stunned—the Doctor isn’t normally the type to say things like that. He’s staring determinedly at the floor now, his cheeks red, and she feels heat spread through her.

“Come here,” she says softly.

The Doctor looks up at her, confused. Her arms are held wide: an invitation. She beckons, smiling.

“Dance with me.”

He blinks once and then strides across the room, a twinkle in his eyes, placing his hands on her waist. They spin slowly to the music.

_Looking for the patterns and static_   
_They start to make sense_   
_The longer I’m at it_

“How long has it been, anyway?” she asks.

The Doctor looks thoughtful. “I’m not sure.”

_Ivory lines lead, oh-whoa_

River frowns. “Well that won’t do. You can’t spend so long without seeing me that you don’t even know how long you’ve been away.”

He tilts his head quizzically. “I wasn’t—”

“After all, you’ve got the whole of time and space at your disposal, while I have to return to a prison cell every time you leave.”

“That’s true. I suppose you have a point.”

_Your heart is a river_   
_That flows from your chest_   
_Through every organ_

His hands are warm on her waist. River smiles at him for no particular reason, and he smiles back contentedly, which is so very rare for him. The storm that often rages behind his eyes, the one that speaks of his raw, ancient, infinite power and knowledge, has calmed for the moment; it almost makes her sigh girlishly to know that he is serene, right now, at peace with the universe, just to be here, dancing with her. She feels the same way.

_Your brain is the dam_   
_And I am the fish_   
_Who can’t reach the core_

“You know, we really should get rings,” she notes conversationally. “Then maybe you won’t stay away so long.” He looks a bit confused.

“Rings?”

“Wedding rings. As a reminder—to think of me.”

He gives her a boyish smile. “I don’t need reminding for that.”

_Ivory lines lead, oh-whoa_

Again River is surprised and oddly struck by this comment. He’s being very sweet today. Maybe something’s on his mind.

But then again, maybe he’s just glad she’s here.

_Oh, instincts are misleading_   
_You shouldn’t think what you’re feeling_   
_They don’t tell you what_   
_You know you should want_

“Did anyone ever tell you you’re a marvelous dancer?” she asks coyly, and a bit of color creeps into his cheeks. It’s really quite nice to know that she’s capable of making one of the most powerful creatures in the universe blush like a schoolboy; it brings her far more pleasure than she may care to admit.

“Maybe once or twice.”

They keep spinning for another moment, and then he slows them to a stop. They stare at each other for a long moment, rain still pounding the windows like a cascade of hammers, before he leans in and kisses her.

It’s sweet and chaste and soft, like he’s just cherishing the fact that she’s there. After a few seconds, she breathes in deeply and deepens the kiss a little. Her hands slide from the Doctor’s shoulders up to his cheeks as she tilts her head and opens her lips to him. He responds by stepping even closer to her and gripping her tighter around the waist, so that they’re fitted together perfectly like matching puzzle pieces. Clearly, he hadn’t intended the kiss to last this long, but slowly it’s growing more and more urgent, like someone gradually turning up the volume on the television. River lets out a sigh into his mouth as she reaches up to grab fistfuls of his hair. His hands clutch her back like she’s a precious gemstone.

_Ivory lines lead, oh-whoa_

And then he leans away. Both of them are breathing a little heavily, and when he looks at her now there’s more than sweetness in his eyes; there’s a question. She smirks at him as an answer, and something behind them lights up. Slowly, without removing his gaze from her for a second, he removes one of his hands into her back, reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out the sonic screwdriver. Before she can raise an eyebrow, he raises it to point at the door behind them. She glances over as it locks itself with a _click._

The mischievous look on the Timelord’s face is enough to make her grin deviously before leaning in to kiss him again.

She hopes the owners of this building aren’t planning to come home anytime soon.


End file.
